Journey Through the Marches
Part II

by Rango Mirshari

We stayed on Arba only long enough to refuel. Even Druett didn't bother with the bar at the spaceport (starport is a generous designation: for a Class C, it was downright wretched). Tara did her bubbly best to drum up passengers and cargo, but there were none to be had.

During our jump to Lanth, I finally had the opportunity to meet the security specialist, Erzuli. Not normally my type, but she has a confidence about her that is hot. However, apparently I'm not her type, either.

Finally we reached Lanth. I never thought I'd be so happy to see this rock again, but after the places I'd been… It brings back memories of my coming of age trip, certainly. The last time I was here, I was twenty-one and spent my entire visit at my cousin's estate, drunk out of my mind - and sick as a Vargr afterwards.

The captain announced that we'd be staying on Lanth at least long enough for the ship to be fitted with collapsible fuel tanks. Our next stop, it seems, will be Regina - four parsecs away, and the captain didn't want to go the long route. It suited me just fine: I'm getting a little tired of listening to Tara's babbling and stepping in puddles of Gram's drool.

The first stop for most of the crew (Al stayed on board, wearing his anti-psi helmet, and Craig had business at the Scout Base) was Abdul's Weapons Emporium. You know the drill - who hasn't been to one of these schlocky shops? There are outlets at almost every subsector capital - the dancing girls came out, then the dancing boys came out, then came Abdul, who brought out dancing Vargr females as soon as he saw the captain and Gram. All smiles and suggestions, he was very helpful - at least until he realized no one was going to take his prices at face value. [Absent from this excursion was Tara, who had other shopping to do.]

I spotted several ads for an ElAl concert while we were out, and snuck away from the others to make a few calls. Anders really came through for me on this one - the old man scrounged up enough tickets to the show for me to take most of the crew.

More impressive were our doctor's amorous advances after he returned to the ship: he could teach my uncle Villi a thing or two. First he started with a Nev-R-Leak vaccsuit patch saleswoman (a prettier fem than you'd think by her occupation - even Fred bought a couple), who accompanied him to the ElAl concert that night. And while at the concert, the good doctor took one look at ElAl and decided she would make a worthwhile conquest, too. He left his new friend behind (not that I minded) and talked himself into a backstage pass! No luck, he confided in me later, but he did get an autograph. If he's ever short of cash, he can always sell it at auction: I heard one went for Cr 22,500 on the Solomani Rim (ElAl never tours that far rimward).

A few Zhos at the concert, too, but that didn't surprise me. There's been a rumor for ages that ElAl uses some sort of psi tricks as part of her production, but no one's ever proven it. Fred, of course, decided to chat with them. People on his homeworld must be awfully friendly.

The day after the concert, a Gazelle Class Close Escort docked nearby, drawing the interest of both Captain Bartholomew and Erzuli. The captain of this ship - the Antigone - owed our own captain a good deal of money (Cr 50,000 - considering what I'm paying for transport, you wouldn't think he'd notice), and he was interested in getting it back. Erzuli's interest was not quite as obvious, but I gathered it has something to do with the reason she's secretive about her past. Doctor Betz did a little research and uncovered that Captain Krimm and his men were merecenaries, and had been in possession of the ship for the past four years.

The doc did his best, but he couldn't get the female mercenaries to do anything more than snarl at him, and Captain Bart decided on another course of action.

When Captain Krimm and two of his mercs left the ship, our intrepid crew followed them…with a plan. Tara arranged to "accidentally" meet Krimm when he entered a bar (after all, what self-respecting mercenary doesn't hit a bar when he gets a chance?) and made arrangements to take him to a nearby hotel. She'd arranged the rooms already, and the room she took Krimm to had an adjoining bedroom…where the others waited. Betz had left a doctored bottle of Solomani champagne in the room, and after - well - after a while, Tara and her new friend became a little more sedate.

I expected the captain to drag him into the other room and get the money out of him after a friendly conversation. But that was not in the cards. No, they wrapped Krimm and Tara (also unconscious) up in the sheets and brought the ship's boat up to the balcony of the hotel room - and carried them off! They stopped to pick up Erzuli (who'd been keeping track of Krimm's bodyguards) and flew back to the port. [I recently overheard a conversation where Fred - who's been with Bart the longest - made a comment referrering to themselves as pirates, which Bart then vehemently denied. I have to admit, however, that I'm starting to wonder.]

Back on the ship, however, there was worse news. The two crew who'd stayed behind -- Druett and Al - were missing. Erzuli's security records showed that two heat signatures appeared on the bridge (where Druett was) and in engineering (where Al) was, then all four signatures vanished from the ship.

EPs: 3